Worked solution
Test mutual exclusivity using a deck
A card is drawn from a full pack of 52 cards. Let A denote drawing an Ace, B drawing a King and C drawing a Spade. Determine whether (a) A and B, (b) B and C, (c) A and C are mutually exclusive. Refer to Example 2 for the deck illustration.
CJC · Lecture · Self-Practice 1
(a) Ace and King
Yes. No card is both an Ace and a King, so .
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(b) King and Spade
No. The King of Spades lies in both events, so is not empty.
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(c) Ace and Spade
No. The Ace of Spades lies in both events, so is not empty. The printed answers are Yes, No, No; the overlap explanations supplement them.
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Common mistakes
Different event names do not imply disjoint sets. Look for a single card that satisfies both descriptions.